Ensure punctuality, timely redressal of people’s grievances: Vohra to Adm Secys

*Points out School Edu, H&UDD for prompt improvement

Mohinder Verma

Governor N N Vohra chairing Administrative Secretaries meeting at Civil Secretariat on Saturday.
Governor N N Vohra chairing Administrative Secretaries meeting at Civil Secretariat on Saturday.

JAMMU, Jan 10: Observing that issues of common masses have not received due attention since announcement of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor, N N Vohra today stressed that redressing grievances of people should be the top most priority of all the Administrative Secretaries and they should leave no stone unturned in this regard. He also hinted at receiving feedback on this aspect from them after regular intervals so that in the absence of Government the public do not feel neglected.
Mr Vohra issued explicit directions in this regard while chairing meeting of all the Administrative Secretaries at Civil Secretariat this afternoon. This was his first interaction with the bureaucrats after the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State.
The Governor also reviewed internal security situation in the State and major issues relating to the current Annual Plan, formulation of Annual Plan for 2015-16, budgetary issues and other matters relating to fiscal management in separate meetings with Director General of Police, K Rajendra Kumar and Principal Secretaries of Finance and Planning Departments, B B Vyas and B R Sharma.
“Since October last year when Assembly elections were announced, the Ministers remained busy in canvassing and even the majority of the officers of civil administration could not lay required focus on the issues of common masses for being engaged in one or another duty relating to elections”, sources said quoting Governor’s observation made in the meeting of Administrative Secretaries.
“While on one side we are enthusiastic about massive participation of people in the polls for which we even received accolades from international fora, on the other side there is a feeling of unhappiness as democratically elected Government could not be put in place because of fractured mandate”, the Governor said.
He, however, hoped that Governor’s Rule would not be of long duration and political parties having received mandate from the electorates would come forward and form the Government to run the State as per the wishes of the common masses.
“Till that time, it should be the foremost duty of all of us to ensure that issues of the common masses receive the required attention”, sources further said quoting Governor’s address to the Administrative Secretaries. Mr Vohra made it clear to them that they should leave no stone unturned to ensure good governance by redressing people’s grievances in time bound manner.
Mr Vohra, according to the sources, also laid stress on ensuring punctuality in the Civil Secretariat as well as in the field offices. He told the Chief Secretary as well as Administrative Secretaries to pass necessary directions, if required, to see that all the Government employees attend to their duties so that people don’t face any inconvenience in projecting their issues before the concerned quarters.
It is pertinent to mention here that following announcement of Assembly elections and subsequent involvement of administrative machinery in ensuring smooth polls the attendance in Civil Secretariat as well as in field offices came down drastically. It is hoped that from Monday onwards there would be proper attendance in the Government offices especially in the light of directions from the Governor.
He called upon all the Secretaries to clear all pending cases and asked the Chief Secretary to send him all the cases which relate to policy or significant decisions.
During the meeting, Governor pointed out two departments—School Education and Housing and Urban Development for improvement on emergent basis. He, according to the sources, observed with serious concern that teachers deployed in the schools in far-off areas were not performing their duties sincerely.
“There are reports and complaints of common masses that teachers deployed in such areas have either managed their attachments in urban areas or not attending the schools regularly thereby affecting the studies of the students”, sources said quoting Mr Vohra’s observation. As the exams are fast approaching the concerned Administrative Secretary was directed to take corrective steps as there was no scope for compromising on the future of the students community.
As far as Housing and Urban Development Department is concerned, the Governor, as per the sources, stressed the need to improve the functioning of Municipal Corporations and Committees so that issues of common masses relating to basic amenities are redressed in time bound manner. He also pointed out areas of congestion and insanitation required to be seriously taken care of by the officers of the Municipal Corporations and Committees.
During the meeting, Governor also received brief on ongoing relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken to provide succor to the people affected in the flash floods of September last year. He also received feed-back on situation having erupted due to cut in kerosene oil quota from the Administrative Secretary of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department.
He was conveyed that issue has been taken up with the concerned Union Ministry and hopefully situation would return to normal in near future.